Written by Yang Ge and Stefani varnicic 23/10/2026
China's TBM industry has undergone an arduous journey spanning decades, rooted deep underground and marked by the toughest challenges. There were no earth-shaking declarations, only a series of milestones recorded in prototype drawings, tunnel faces, and boring logs, tracing a path of innovation from catching up, to keeping pace, and finally to taking the lead in certain fileds.
From the successful deployment of "CREC No. 1" in 2008 to today's exports to nearly 40 countries and regions across six continents, CREG has spent 18 years ushering in a new era of industrial breakthrough — from zero to one, and from one to N.
Breaking Through: Shattering the Foreign Technology Monopoly
In the 1990s, China's underground tunneling projects relied heavily on foreign equipment. Virtually all TBMs used in China's metro and water conveyance projects were imported.
Core Technologies Must Be Developed Independently.
In 2001, China listed TBM development in the National High-tech R&D Program (the "863 Program"). China Railway Group Limited established the country's first TBM industrialization base, where 18 core engineers gathered to embark on the path of independent research and development. Through years of iteration, the team overcame key bottlenecks in system integration, cutterhead and tool technology, hydraulic control, and other critical areas.
In April 2008, China's first composite EPB TBM with independent intellectual property rights — "CREC No. 1" — passed factory acceptance in Xinxiang, Henan. On Tianjin Metro Line 3, "CREC No. 1" successfully bored beneath historic landmarks including the Bohai Building, the Zhang Xueliang Residence, and the Porcelain House. With its rapid advance and excellent control of ground settlement, China’s first domestically developed TBM quickly earned wide recognition across the industry.. From zero to one, China had finally seized control of its own tunnel engineering destiny — the "breakthrough battle" of a new era had begun.
Building Momentum: From Single Breakthrough to Matrix Leadership
If zero-to-one marked a breakout, then going from one-to-N was a much longer journey — one that tested not just the ability to achieve a breakthrough, but to sustain that success. In December 2009, CREG was formally established. From its inception, the company adopted a three-step strategy: "Equip China Railway, Equip China, Equip the World."
Individual breakthroughs gradually laid the foundation for broader industrial capabilities. CREG rapidly established a full-chain system covering R&D, manufacturing, and service, driving China’s TBMs beyond isolated breakthroughs toward serialized, standardized, and large-scale production. Faced with diverse geological conditions and engineering demands, the team continued to advance its technology, conquering slurry balance, hard-rock boring, multi-mode TBM, and other areas — building a comprehensive product portofolio capable of adapting to a wide range of complex condition.
From 6-meter-class metro TBMs to 15-meter-class super-large diameter machines, CREG took nearly a decade to bridge that gap.
In October 2017, "CREC306" — China's first 15-meter-class super-large diameter slurry balance TBM with an accessible cutterhead — passed through factory acceptance, breaking the foreign monopoly on large-diameter TBMs. This leap meant more than an increase in diameter; it represented mastery of core technologies, including resistance to ultra-high water pressure and adaptability tp complex geological conditions.
Since then, CREG has continued to push the boundaries of super-large diameter TBM technology. From "CREC306" to "Chunfeng" , and now to "CREC1659", China’s family of super-large diameter TBMs has continued to grow. Their technical maturity and reliability have been proven under extreme operating conditions.
From adapting to specific conditions to tackling extreme challenges, CREG continues to expand the boundaries of innovation:
These "first-of-its-kind" and "first-in-China" achievements have not only filled gaps in China’s technical capabilities but also set a new benchmark for "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" on the global stage, demonstrating the resilience and innovative vitality of China's equipment manufacturing industry.
Serving the World: From "First Order" to Global Footprint
After establishing a firm foothold in the Chinese market, the next "battlefield" in its underground journey was the wider world. Going global presented a new set of challenges for China's TBM industry..
From Malaysia to high-end European markets, China's TBM footprint continues to expand.
In 2012, "CREC50" was exported to Malaysia, marking China’s first breakthrough in exporting complete TBMs. Backed by proven performance, CREG steadily expanded from Southeast Asia to the Middle East and then to Europe, illuminating the global map with a series of "star products." Since then, CREG TBMs have entered nearly 40 countries and regions including Singapore, France, Germany, and Italy.
Over the past decade and more, CREG TBMs — with their proven quality, leading technology, and strong brand — have expanded beyond China into high-end markets around the world. Today, machines bearing the "CREG" logo bore tunnels across the globe, becoming underground links connecting nations and etching the mark of "Made in China" deep beneath the earth.
Each generation has its own hard road. Looking back at this thorny yet glorious journey, every breakthrough embodies wisdom and hard work; every machine that rolls off the production line witnesses CREG's growth and transformation. Today, this journey continues in a new form deep underground — as TBMs rotate and advance, boring not just tunnels, but also a path toward innovation in China’s high-end equipment industry. CREG's answer on this new-era industrial road is still being written.
